Papaver orientale Burning Heart (Oriental Poppy)

Noted for its luminous blooms, Oriental Poppy ‘Burning Heart’ (Papaver orientale) produces semi-double, crepe papery, bright reddish-pink flowers with dark purple eyes and reddish centers.

Noted for its luminous blooms, Oriental Poppy 'Burning Heart' (Papaver orientale) produces semi-double, crepe papery, bright reddish-pink flowers with dark purple eyes and reddish centers. Planted in small groups, its bold blossoms will give a color punch to your borders and draw attention from late spring to early summer!

  • Growing in clumps up to 20-24 in. tall (50-60 cm) and spreading 18-20 in. (45-50 cm), the flowers rise on long stalks clad with thistle-like, silvery-green leaves.
  • Prefers full sun to very light shade and enjoys rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Average garden soils are acceptable as long as drainage is good. This plant doesn't respond well to high summer heat and humidity. Mulch in winter until well established.
  • Easy to grow, long-lived, and virtually care-free, it is also deer and rabbit tolerant.
  • Perfect for borders and beds, rock gardens, and cottage gardens. This plant goes dormant after flowering. Combining it with Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), or Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum x superbum) as a superb way of filling the gaps left by the dormant poppies.
  • The seedpods that follow the fading flowers are also quite attractive and can be used in dried flower arrangements, or left in the garden for the visual interest they bring.
  • This Oriental Poppy may be grown from seed, and tends to self-seed in the garden.
  • The best time to plant poppies is in the fall. Container-grown plants can be planted in spring.

Requirements

Hardiness 3
– 8

Heat Zones 1
– 9

Climate Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, A1, A2, A3
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Papaver – Poppies
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Late)Summer (Early)
Height 1'
– 2'
(30cm
– 60cm)
Spread 1'
– 2'
(30cm
– 60cm)
Spacing 18″
– 24″
(45cm
– 60cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Tolerance Deer, Drought, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Edging
Garden Styles Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Japanese Garden, Prairie and Meadow